Hi folks

A friend of mine has just had his cambelt go on his Cinquecento and I rather optimistically assured him that it wouldn't be a problem because it was a 'safe' engine and we could fix it together, no problem.

Then I realised that it was the 8V FIRE engine that's safe, and I have got a horrible feeling that this one isn't. But as hardly anyone seems to run this engine there doesn't seem to be much info out there.

Does anyone know the answer? I have attached a pic of the VIN plate.

Thanks for any help...

Alan

This is the 900cc ohv engine with a chain drive to the camshaft. If the chain has broken there will be other bits needed, like tensioner, lock tabs, gaskets, seal, etc.

No idea if it is a safe engine, hopefully someone will advise later.

Meanwhile, check the valve clearances. Bent valves will have larger gaps, but if he's run it until the chain has broken, he'll have been ignoring a lot of noise, so valve clearances may be a bit wide anyway.
You could try to turn the engine over very slowly, by hand, and feel if anything connects.

Aren't there likely to be very bent pushrods involved with the OHV engines?

Good point, but surely only on the same basis as with OHC ones - i.e. if the piston and the valve are trying to occupy the same space at the same time?

If the valves are bent, I do have a spare engine for sale with a timing belt off a 1999 sei sx

Well, let's reverse a second - if it's an 899 and a belt has snapped, that's the aux belt as the cam is chain driven, not belt driven.

Eklipze3k said:

Well, let's reverse a second - if it's an 899 and a belt has snapped, that's the aux belt as the cam is chain driven, not belt driven.

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Exactly, there could be a lot of panicking about nothing here..!

westernlancia said:

Good point, but surely only on the same basis as with OHC ones - i.e. if the piston and the valve are trying to occupy the same space at the same time?

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Often the pushrods are sacrificial, designed to give before bending valves.

Yes, I wondered that. Also a lot easier to check, because we can take them out and have a look without dismantling too much. Thanks for that!

And thanks to those who have pointed out it's chain driven - I hadn't thought of that, and it was only after my friend had told me that I realised it wasn't a FIRE. Sounds as if we could be in luck! And I think he probably means the ALTERNATOR belt rather than the CAMbelt, although he just said 'courroie', which in French can be either. And thanks to EdwardHooper for the spare engine offer, although it sounds as if we may not need it (but I will check!).

westernlancia said:

And thanks to those who have pointed out it's chain driven - I hadn't thought of that, and it was only after my friend had told me that I realised it wasn't a FIRE. Sounds as if we could be in luck! And I think he probably means the ALTERNATOR belt rather than the CAMbelt, although he just said 'courroie', which in French can be either. And thanks to EdwardHooper for the spare engine offer, although it sounds as if we may not need it (but I will check!).

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Good old Google Translate translates "courroie" as "belt".
So yes it is just the auxiliary belt, which drives the alternator and waterpump.

Yes, that's right - there are courroie de distribution, which is cambelt, and courroie d'alternateur/accessoire(s), which is alternator belt. What threw me was that when my friend told me it had gone he assumed the engine had had it, so I thought he must mean cambelt. He is a farmer, so usually pretty good at mechanicking, even if his solutions are sometimes a bit 'agricultural' (to coin a phrase!).

westernlancia said:

Yes, that's right - there are courroie de distribution, which is cambelt, and courroie d'alternateur/accessoire(s), which is alternator belt. What threw me was that when my friend told me it had gone he assumed the engine had had it, so I thought he must mean cambelt. He is a farmer, so usually pretty good at mechanicking, even if his solutions are sometimes a bit 'agricultural' (to coin a phrase!).

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The only issue would be if he kept driving for some time after the belt went with no coolant circulating.

The gauge sensor on the 899 Cinq is direct on top of the head, so will still pickup the temperature with no coolant flow.

westernlancia said:

. He is a farmer, .

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Can't spell cow but can lift one?

D

rallycinq said:

Can't spell cow but can lift one?

D

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Possibly.. as English Would be at least 3rd language.
French..Breton...

Anyway.. we Celts should be ok .. with our 'thing'about small italian vehicles

varesecrazy said:

Possibly.. as English Would be at least 3rd language.
French..Breton...

Anyway.. we Celts should be ok .. with our 'thing'about small italian vehicles

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OK... Farmer: can't spell Vache, but can lift one.

D

varesecrazy said:

Possibly.. as English Would be at least 3rd language.
French..Breton...

Anyway.. we Celts should be ok .. with our 'thing'about small italian vehicles

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Ha ha - we are about 150 miles from Turin (no accident - I wanted to go and live in Italy for the Fiats and Lancias, but my wife doesn't speak Italian so just inside France was the compromise). So no chance my guy speaks Breton, but his accent is a bit Occitan! And yes, his attitude, if something doesn't fit, is 'hit it with a bigger hammer'...

rallycinq said:

OK... Farmer: can't spell Vache, but can lift one.

D

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Oh la vache! is an exclamation, roughly comparable to 'well, damn' or 'bugger me' or 'OMG'! My guy does say that a lot...

Where I went to school:
'Berkshire born. Berkshire bred
Strong in the arm . Thick in the head'